Best Shot

Growing up, we are taught to give our best effort and it will be enough. I remember my parents asking if I had given my best effort in school because that was all they expected of me. I agree that in most cases, your best effort or best shot should be good enough but it’s not always that simple.

When I was a young boy, around 10 years old, I found myself constantly trying to copy and outdo my brother and cousins. They all owned pellet guns while I only had a BB gun. I practiced a lot and could hit my target as well and at times,even better than my relatives. I often dreamed of bringing down a big game target and when I practiced, I could picture it in my mind. One day, 2 of my cousins as well as my brother and I were roaming around my Grandmother’s property looking for possible targets but we were having no luck. We stopped by my Grandmother’s home to take a break and grab a snack. We left our guns on the porch and went inside. After a few biscuits, I stepped back outside and grabbed my BB gun. As I looked up into the trees near her porch, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I giant bird landed straight in front of me on a branch. Just as I had pictured in my mind a hundred times, I raised my gun, took aim and calmly pulled the trigger. I hit the huge bird right in the middle of the chest but the BB simply fell off and hit the ground. The bird shrugged it’s shoulders, stretched it’s wings and flew away. I yelled No!!!!!!! my brother and cousins came outside to see what the commotion was about and no matter how I tried to explain, they did not believe my tale.

The only things I hunt these days are golf balls. We all know the importance of practice and dedication in order to be great at anything, golf being no exception and while it’s true that you can learn the sport with pretty much any equipment, there comes a time when the basic gear just isn’t going to get the job done. In long drive, there are ceilings to be reached with each advance and unless you can optimize the speed, technique and equipment, you risk being defeated, even with your best effort. The day I stood on that porch, I was ready mentally, I had my best equipment in hand and I executed flawlessly but it just wasn’t enough. It’s important to be fitted for golf gear but it’s also important to have someone you can trust to do the fitting process and to continue to evolve and change as your skill level changes. It’s even harder when it comes to the word of Long Drive. There’s no exact scientific fitting process available but trial and error provides the most reliable feedback possible. Heads, shafts, grips and shoes are all pieces of the puzzle and it’s a time consuming and expensive venture to achieve greatness in long drive. If you have access to a fitting process in long drive, you should count yourself blessed and it should provide a huge advantage. Also, if you’re sponsored with any equipment, you are among the few. The race does not always go to the fastest and the fight doesn’t always go to the strongest but entering any life event with advantages can be the difference in greatness and failure.

Always give your best effort, be determined in defeat, rise from the ashes and when you do find success, win with confidence and act like a champion who inspires others to follow their dreams. Success comes to those who are confident, prepared and those who expect to win.